Device for deveining shrimps



Jan. 9, 1951 D. N. KITE DEVICE yFOR DEVEINING SHRIMPs 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled April 1l, 1949 e mm mn. mm D Attorney Jan. 9, 1951 D. N. KITEDEVICE FOR DEVEINING SHRIMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1949INVENTOR.

Don N.Kite

Attorney atenteci `an. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nevica nonDEVEI'NING sHRiMPs Don N. Kite, Hinsdale, IIL; May Eileen Feldkanip,adiiinistratrix of said Bon' N. Kite, deceased, assignoi" to MaryEileen- Feldkamp and Mary Kathleen Kite.

6 Claims.

My invention relates to shrimp`I cleaning and shelling devices.

A prime object of my invention is to provide a shrimp cleaning andshelling device having fixed and articulate jaw means for holding adecapitated shrimp securely in place for the purpose of slitting itsouter shell, and removing its vein element.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a shrimpcleaning and shelling device having guided knife means in connectiontherewithfor the operation of shelling and deveining the shrimp.

A further object of my invention is to provide a shrimp cleaning andshelling device having an adjustable articulate jaw which in connectionwith auxiliary jaw means will accommodate shrimp of varying sizes.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a shrimp cleaningand shelling device having tension spring means between the fixed andin'ov-able jaws thereof to cause the said movable jaw to automaticallyopen when released perniittng the shelled shrimp to be removed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a shrimp cleaning andshelling device having a leg clearance slot longitudinally formed in thebottoni of the lower jaw thereof to allow the feet of the shrimp toextend therethrough facilitating the removal thereof.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a shrimp cleaning.and shelling device that is simply designed and may be economicallymanufactured in large quantities.

Other objects and advantages embraced in my invention will be disclosedin the following description and the accompanying illustrations whereinlike parts are designated by like 'niimerals and in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention with parts cut and brokenaway to show its interior construction and showing in phantom lines theopening action Aof the movable jaw means in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a top view of my invention taken locking in the direction ofarrows 2 2 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of my invention taken looking in the direction oflarrows 3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig. l 4is a cross-sectional View of my inventiontaken substantially on line 4-4 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of my invention taken substantially online 5 5 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the auxiliary jaw means 'used inconnection with my invention.

Fig. 7`is an enlarged perspective View of the 2 guided knife means usedin connection withV my invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the lower `jaw of my invention takenlooking in the direction of line 8*-8 on Fig. 1 and showing theauxiliary jaw locating slot means.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view in phantom lines of -a shrimp that has beenshelled and de-vein'ed byl my invention, showing the relative positionsof the shrimp body, the shell and vein after the shelling andde-veii-iir'i-goperation.

Referring to the illustrations my invention is generally designated lIEIand consists of a fixed lower jaw assembly II Aand an articulate upperjaw assembly I2 talger'edtoward the base thereof. The said xed lower jawassembly Il consists of a curved and tapered jaw portion I5, a standportion I 3 and a base portion I4. Curved jaw portion I5 is providedwith transverse ridge means I 6 to prevent the shrimp designated 3D fromslipping. Slotted hingebrackets I1 are oppositely formed, one on eitherside of the 'open end of curved jaw portion I5 and are formed into anumber of spaced-slot portions designated I8, I9 and 20. consists of acurved and tapered mating jaw portion 2I and a jaw manipulating 'handle22. The said curved mating jaw portion 2i is provided with transverseridgemeans 23, to aid in holding ofthe shrimp 3G or y3i firmly in place.

Hinge extensions 24 are oppositely formed on the two sides of the openend of articulate jaw assembly I2 and are connected by a hinge pin 25,which locates within one of the slot portions I8, I9 or 20 in connectionwith fixed jaw assembly II. Spring attaching prongs 2.6 and A21 areformed to extend from the ends of fixed jaw vassembly II and articulatejaw assembly I2, for securing a tension spring 28 therebetween.Articulate jaw assembly I2 articulates hingably upon hinge pin 25 withinone of the slot portions I8, I9 or 20, and is maintained normally in anopen position by the said tension spring 28 as shown by phantom lines inFig. 1. A knife guide slot 29 is formed longitudinally along the centraltop portion of curved jaw 2|, to accommodate guided knife means 32,which consists of a curved knife blade 33 having a curved cutting edge34 somewhat resembling a snowplow in shape. The edge of knife blade 33are flared at 35 to guide and eject the vein element 46 cut from theback of the shrimp during the cleaning process. A handle 37 and lipportion 36 provide locating and manipulating means for guided knife 32within longitudinal knife guide slot29.

The articulate jaw vassembly I2 The action or Yguided knife 32 isillustrated in Fig. 1 in solid and phantom lines with arrow d8 showingdirection of its manipulation.

A stop 40 is formed at the open end of curved lower jaw portion l forlocating shrimp 30, and to act as a stop for an auxiliary jaw element 38of crescent shape to fit within curved jaw portion I5. The saidauxiliary jaw element 38 is of smaller diameter than the jaw portion I5,to accommodate a shrimp designated 3I of smaller size. Auxiliary jawelement 38 is provided with transverse ridge means 39 and a locatingrivet 4I is fixed in its forward bottom surface to engage jaw locatingslot 42 in bottom jaw I5. Clearance slots 43 and 44 are longitudinallyformed in the bottom oi curved jaw portion I5 and auxiliary jaw element38, to allow the shrimp legs 5I to extend therethrough and be out ofi bythe shearing action of a knife 4'! as shown in Fig. 1. A jaw clearance50 is provided between fixed jaw II and articulate jaw I2 when thelarger size shrimp 36 are being cleaned, in order that the smaller sizeshrimp designated 3I illustrated in Fig. 4 may be rmly held by theclamping down of articulate jaw I2.

When not in use, the articulate jaw I2 o f my shrimp cleaning andshelling device is normally maintained in a raised or open position asshown by phantom lines in Fig. l, held by tension springs 28. The saidarticulate jaw I2 may be adjusted to shell and devein diierent sizes of'shrimp as shown in Figs. l and 5 and designated 30 and 3I by varyingthe locating hinge pin 25 within the three locating slots I8, I9 and 20.When a smaller size shrimp, designated 3l, is being cleaned the hingepin 25 would be located preferably within slot 25 and an auxiliary jawelement 38 would be xed within lower jaw portion I5. The guided knife 32is normally maintained in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 asthe beginning of the shrimp cleaning operation.

To operate my shrimp cleaning device, a decapitated shrimp 3B or 3I isplaced within thev curved jaw portion I5 of xed jaw assembly lil withits tail toward the rear of the jaw, which is tapered in conformity withthe shape of a shrimp, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The articulate jawassembly I2 is clamped down over the shrimp lying in fixed jaw assemblyI I and is held by hand pressing the handle 22, against stand portionI3. rIhe iingers of the other hand manipulate the guided knife 32 in anarcuate motion in the direction of arrow 48 so that cutting edge 34 ofknife blade 33 slices the shell 45 over the back of shrimp 30.Simultaneously the point of knife 34 separates and ejects the veinportion 4B from the back of the shrimp, ejecting the said vein elementoutward through longitudinal knife guide slot 23. The handle 22 isreleased and articulate jaw assembly II springs upwardly out of contactwith the shrimp and out of the Way of the fixed jaw assembly II,permitting the shrimp 3B or 3I to be removed. When the said shrimp hasbeen removed it will present the appearance of the shrimp in Fig. 9,with the shell 45 slit along the back and the veined element 45 togetherwith the legs 5I removed therefrom. A

single operation will lift the shrimp from the shell portion 65.

Among the important advantages residing in my invention is the speedwith which shrimp, large and small, may be shelled and cleaned. Thiswould be of particular advantage in institution Such as fish markets orrestaurants 4 c Where large numbers of shrimp are cleaned and prepared.

A further important advantage inherent in my invention is the adjustablefeature wherein large and small sized shrimp are equally wellaccommodated for cleaning and deveining. Of further importance in thisrespect, is the fact that it does not require an expert to shell ordevein shrimp using my shrimp cleaning and shelling device, as thecutting action is guided and automatic and the shrimp is not in any waymutilated as is so often the case when shrimp are shelled and deveinedby hand.

Although my invention has been described, the terms used are to bedeemed terms of description rather than terms of limitation, myintention being to retain the right to all mechanical equivalents of thestructural elements depicted, provided they fall within the purview ofthe appended claims. f

Having thus disclosed and revealed my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a xed lower jawassembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the said iixedlower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jaw assembly, andguided knife means mounted slidably in the said guide slot means.

2. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a fixed lowerjaw assembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the saidfixed lower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jawassembly, and guided knife means mounted slidably in the said guide slotmeans, both the said fixed lower jaw assembly and the said upper jawassembly being of arcuate formation congurative with the shape of ashrimp to be conned therein.

3. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a fixed lowerjaw assembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the saidfixed lower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jawassembly, and spring means interconnecting the said fixed lower jawassembly and the said upper jaw assembly adjacent the point ofarticulation urging the latter normally to open position.

4. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a fixed lowerjaw assembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the saidfixed lower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jawassembly, guided knife means mounted slidably in the said guide slotmeans, both the said iixed lower jaw assembly and the said upper jawassembly being of arcuate formation coniigurative with the shape of ashrimp to be confined therein, and spring means interconnecting the saidxed lower jaw assembly and the said upper jaw assembly adjacent thepoint of articulation urging the latter normally to open position.

5. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a fixed lowerjaw assembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the saidfixed lower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jawassembly, guided knife means mounted slidably in the said guide slotmeans, and spring means interconnecting the said ixed lower jaw assemblyand the said upper jaw assembly adjacent the point of articulationuiging the latter normally to open position, the said xed lower jawassembly being provided with a bracket portion having a multiplicity ofslotted portions. the said upper jaw assembly being provided with hingepin means adapted to function selectively within any slotted portion ofthe said multiplicity of slotted portions.

G. Shrimp cleaning and shelling device means comprising, a xed lower jawassembly, an upper jaw assembly articulately secured to the said xedlower jaw assembly, guide slot means in the said upper jaw assembly,guided knife means mounted slidably in the said guide slot means, boththe said Xed lower jaw assembly and the said upper jaw assembly being ofarcuate formation congurative with the shape of a shrimp to be connedtherein, and spring means interconnecting the said xed lower jawassembly and the said upper jaw assembly adjacent the point ofarticulation urging the latter normally to open REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,677,579 Barry July 17, 19282,335,806

Sjostrom Nov. 30, 1943

